Job Url: https://ats.rippling.com/en-GB/strongmind-inc/jobs/24c37c66-f02f-406a-8662-2cf16367cb1c Job Description: Software Engineer 3 We’re looking for a Staff Engineer who operates at the intersection of deep technical execution, product thinking, and AI-enabled systems. This role is designed for someone who wants to shape how we build—not just what we build—while staying close to real product work and customer impact. As a Staff Engineer at StrongMind, you will play a critical role in helping us evolve into an AI-centric product organization transforming education. You bring strong technical judgment, a product mindset, and a passion for using modern tools—including AI agents and automation—to accelerate delivery, improve quality, and unlock new possibilities for learners and educators. You will influence multiple teams through examples, guidance, and shared patterns. You will help translate product intent into scalable, maintainable systems and ensure that AI is thoughtfully integrated both into our development workflows and into the products we ship. What This Role Is About This is not a “heads-down” role and not a management role. It is a technical leadership role for someone who: ·       Thinks in systems, not just features ·       Cares deeply about product outcomes ·       Uses AI as a core part of how they work ·       Elevates the people and teams around them through clarity and craft You will collaborate closely with Product, Engineering Managers, and Principal Engineers, while remaining an active builder and problem solver. Key Responsibility Areas AI-First Product Engineering ·       Design and build high-quality product capabilities that leverage AI, meaningfully improve outcomes for learners, educators, and operators. ·       Treat AI as a first-class part of the system—both in development of workflows and production features. ·       Use AI agents, automation, and tooling safely, effectively, and consistently across the department. Technical Leadership & System Design ·       Lead work across the full software lifecycle, from ideation through production and ongoing evolution. ·       Design systems that are scalable, observable, and resilient. ·       Anticipate second-order effects and help teams avoid local optimizations that harm the broader system. ·       Identify opportunities for shared solutions and reusable patterns across teams and products. Product Partnership & Outcome Focus ·       Partner with Product to deeply understand user needs, success metrics, and business goals. ·       Bring product thinking into technical decisions—balancing speed, quality, and long-term sustainability. ·       Help teams reason for trade-offs and make decisions that align with desired outcomes, not just delivery milestones. ·       Contribute to defining and measuring product and engineering KPIs. Raising the Bar Across Teams ·       Set a high standard for code quality, system design, and operational excellence. ·       Provide thoughtful feedback through code reviews and design discussions. ·       Help engineers identify blind spots and grow their technical judgment. ·       Influence without authority by being clear, pragmatic, and trusted. Developer Experience & Continuous Learning ·       Improve developer experience by reducing friction in tooling, workflows, and environments. ·       Model effective use of AI tools to increase focus and throughput. ·       Champion continuous learning by helping teams adopt new patterns, tools, and practices as the organization evolves. ·       Share learnings and approaches that help the entire department move faster and smarter. Operational Ownership ·       Participate in production support and incident follow-up with a focus on systemic improvement. ·       Help teams move beyond reactive fixes toward durable solutions. ·       Ensure what we build is not only functional, but supportable and observable in the real world. What We’re Looking For We’re looking for someone who brings strong technical judgment, product awareness, and a mindset oriented toward learning and impact. Required Background & Experience ·       Proven experience designing, building, and operating production software systems. ·       Strong technical foundation in modern software development practices, architecture, and system design. ·       Ability to think holistically about products, users, and long-term system health—not just individual features. ·       Experience working in cross-functional environments alongside Product and Engineering leadership. ·       Comfort operating in ambiguity and making thoughtful trade-offs. ·       Clear written and verbal communication skills, especially when explaining complex technical concepts. Preferred Experience ·       Experience working in AI-enabled or data-intensive systems, or strong curiosity and demonstrated ability to learn quickly in this space. ·       Familiarity with cloud-based architectures and distributed systems (AWS or similar). ·       Experience improving developer workflows, tooling, or platform capabilities that benefit multiple teams. ·       Exposure to education, ed-tech, or mission-driven product environments. ·       Experience influencing technical direction beyond a single team. Why This Role Matters Staff Engineers at StrongMind help determine: ·       How quickly we can ship meaningful improvements that students and educators actually feel ·       How safely we can scale AI-driven systems that support real learning ·       How effectively our teams can stay focused on work that improves outcomes, not noise   This role directly shapes how learners experience education—ensuring what we build is not only fast and scalable, but truly impactful for the students we serve. Perks, Benefits & Culture You’ll Love: Wellness, Your Way From an on-site gym and yoga room to flexible work options (select roles), we believe your well-being fuels your brilliance. Unplug for the Holidays A fully paid holiday week off at Christmas—because rest isn’t a luxury, it’s essential. Culture That Celebrates You Champion spotlights, legendary milestone awards at 10, 15, and 20 years, and community service hours that let you give back with heart. Open, Honest & Human Quarterly Town Halls keep our communication transparent—and real. Vibes & Good Times Think team cookouts, fun treats, and social events that actually make you want to show up. Solid Benefits, Real Support At StrongMind, we offer a competitive total compensation package, informed by market data and aligned with our size, stage, industry, and location.  Medical, dental, vision, Unlimited PTO, and voluntary benefits—we take care of the people who make the magic happen. Your Voice Matters We’re constantly evolving, and that includes how we support, celebrate, and invest in our people.